Automobile body



Mardi 12, 1940- A. A. FRIEsTEDT 2,193,416

AUTOMOBILE BODY Filed Feb. 25, 1938 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 12, 1940 ortica AUTOMOBILE Bohr` Arthur A. Friestedt, Chicago, lill.,` assigner of onefourth to Ira J. Wilson, Winnetka, Ill.

This invention relates to vehicle bodies and more particularly to automobile bodies of the closed type.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, it has been the universal custom to equip each of the doors of an automobile with an exterior handle by which the door could be opened from the outside. In conjunction with such handle each ofthe doors, except the one equipped with the lock, was provided with a latch operable from the-interior of the body by which the latch bolt which holds the door in closed position could be locked against release by manipulation of the outside handle.

One of the purposes of my present invention is to entirely eliminate from the cost of the automobile the expense of producing and installingv the outside door handles and the aforementioned inside latches. l

vAnother purpose of my invention is to render an automobile substantially theft proof by automatically locking all of the doors when they are swung to closed position so that access to the interior of the car can be obtained only by means of a key in the possession of the authorized driver, This object is attained by eliminating all means of retracting the locking bolts of the doors from the outside of the car except through the instrumentality of an authorized key, by which one of such bolts may be retracted to open one door.

By eliminating the outside door handles from a car body, all likelihood of injury to person or clothing by becoming caught in the handles is obviated, the danger from hold-ups in which the marauder Sustainshis position on the running board of the car by clinging to a door handle is overcome, and in addition, the beauty and streamline appearance of the body are materially body indicated generally by reference characterv 5 is illustrated as being of the closed type, and the form shown is a four door sedan model, al-

though the principles of my invention are equally,- g applicable t0 a coupe or all other two or four door bodies. v 1

In the present instance, the body is equipped withthe two front doors t and 'l and two rear doors 8 and 9. All of these doors are supported I K at one vertical side from the frame of the body by hinges il of standard or preferred construction so that the doors will swing outwardly from the body when opened, as is customary. V

All of the doors are equipped with spring actuated latch mechanisms indicatedl generally by I2; including the usual spring pressed locking bolt l 3- could be retracted by manipulation of the outside handle. An auxiliary hand-operated latch of some type was also vassociated with each latching.- f

mechanism by which the outside handle could be made ineffective to retract the bolt either by positively locking the bolt or by disengaging the operative connection between the bolt 'and the handle. These auxiliary latches were mounted upon the inside of the doors and were required to be manually thrown to locking position whenever the driver desired to lock his car against entrance from the outside.

In accordance with my present invention, these outside handles and auxiliary latches are entirely eliminated and each latch mechanism is equipped on the inside of the body only with an operating device, preferably in the form of a handle, by

which the locking bolt may be retracted to open the doors. and 9 are provided with the operatinghandles I5 mounted directly on the latch mechanisms, and the front doors are similarly equipped with handles, which for convenience, however, are mounted remote from the latch mechanisms and operatively connected therewith by links I'I.

Since all ofthe doors, in accordance with my invention, are devoid of outside handles' or other means for releasing the door looking bolts from the outside of the car without the employment of an authorized key, it will be apparent that whenever a door is swung to closed position it becomes automatically locked against opening from the outside and without manipulation of 1n the form shown, the rear doors 8 or attention to any auxiliary interior, manually operable latches for effecting the locking.

In order, however, that authorized access to the interior of the car may be had, one of the doors, in this instance the front door 6, is equipped with a key operable locking mechanism I8 of any preferred construction but preferably a substantial cylinder lock of the Yale or Corbin type so mounted that the entrance end of the key cylinder is presented for the reception oi' a key from the outside of the body. Such lock is oonnected with a bolt I3 in a manner customary in door locks so that the bolt may be retracted upon manipulation of the key.

Since this door through which authorized access to the interior of the car may be obtained likewise is devoid of any handle by which the door might be pulled open, provision is made for opening or partially opening the door when the locking bolt is released. The opening means i1- lustrated comprises a coiled compression spring i9 located in a socket 2! to urge outwardly al head 22 preferably of fibrous material mounted on a post 23 which extends through the bottom wall of the socket. The post and the cylindrical side walls of the head serve to guide the parts and maintain them in position, and the extent of projection of the head beyond the socle et is limited by an adjustable abutment 2d, here shown as a nut threaded upon the post Oli-- viously, an additional lock nut maybe employed to prevent accidental displacement of the abutment nut. The outer face of the bears against the door` liange and when the door is in closed position serves as a bumper to prevent rattling of the door. When the looking bolt i3 isl released through the instrumentality of a key, as previously explained, the spring it propels the door toward open position a sufficient Adistance, at least, to enable the car user to grasp the door flange and swing the door as far open as may be necessary. Additional bumper springs located at any desired height may be used if found necessary.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that vI have provided a car body, the sides of which are free from projecting hardware, thereby con-4 tributing to the streamline appearance and the attractiveness of the body.

A very important feature of the invention, however, is the insurance against theft, vwhich is afforded by the fact that Whenever the doors are closed the car is automatically locked and can only be opened by using an authorized key. There is no possibility of leaving the oar accidentally unlocked, and no handles are presented through which by the employment of force a marauder may break a lock and obtain entrance to the car. In addition to the improvement in appearance and insurance against theft accomplished by the elimination of exterior door han.- dles, the cost of such handles, the cost of the locking latches heretofore required, and the expense of installing the handles and latches are all completely eliminated.

While I have shown and described preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be manifest that the structural details are capable of wide modification and variation within. the scope of the invention as donned in the followingr claim.

I claim:

A selfdocking theft-proof motor vehicle body of the closed type having outwardly .swinging doors each presenting a smooth outer surface devoid of door opening handles, each door 'being provided with a latch for automatically locking such door against being opened from the outside of the car Whenever swung to cosed position and a single latch-unlocking means operable from inside the body only, means operable by a key insertan-le from the outside of the body for unlockingr` one of said 1atches, and means for imparting an initial opening movement to such key-unlocked door.

ARTHUR A. FRIESTEDT. 

